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37 <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> Camille Mikkelson said she uses Highway 54 to commute to Chapel Hill. She said she <br /> would not like to have a Dollar General on the property or any other retailer. She said she did not <br /> want Bravo's Market to be put out of business by a corporate entity. She said that she does not <br /> think the economic boon of the store would benefit the community long term. <br /> Bob Johnson said he has lived in Bingham Township for 60 years. He said the building <br /> has been vacant for decades. He said that the building being zoned residential does not make <br /> sense. He said that rezoning for a Dollar General is a terrible idea. He said that in places that <br /> are true food deserts, a Dollar General makes sense. He said the developer wants the Board to <br /> focus on the rezoning and not on the fact that this is a Dollar General. He said as much as the <br /> parcel needs to be rezoned it does not need to be a Dollar General. He said that White Cross <br /> needs better. <br /> Robin Veil said she knows of several accidents in the location. She said she is very <br /> concerned about traffic safety in the area. She said there are locally owned properties and <br /> businesses in the area. She said there is an antiques store, a woodshop and an artist gallery, <br /> Bravo's Market, and the Fiesta Grill. She said that the White Cross community supports those <br /> businesses. She said the White Cross community does not need a box store with a proven record <br /> of poor wages, minimal staffing, countless OSHA violations, and moving into areas and putting <br /> local businesses out of business. She said there are 997 Dollar Generals in the state of North <br /> Carolina. She asked the Board to not approve this rezoning. <br /> Vernon Davis waived his time to speak. <br /> Preston Mason said he is a resident of White Cross and that his residence will be closest <br /> to the Dollar General. He said he is in favor of the proposal. He said they supply items that would <br /> benefit the residents. He said they sell goods like school supplies, clothes for church plays, or <br /> wipes and diapers for young children. He said having the ability to purchase these things close <br /> to home would be tremendous. He said he also shops at Bravo's Market. He said the goods that <br /> they carry are not carried by Dollar General. He said that this would allow more time at home and <br /> less time on the road. He said the size of the building fits into the community character. He said <br /> the traffic study shows the traffic won't be impacted. He said that there are other structures that <br /> are of a similar size to the Dollar General. He said that the Planning Staff has gone to great <br /> lengths to make sure that the proposal is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. He said that <br /> Dollar General has met all of the recommendations of the planning staff. He said that he strongly <br /> encourages the Board to approve. <br /> Rob Jamison said he said when he first moved to the area last year. He said he is building <br /> about two thousand feet up the road from the proposed site. He said he was surprised how far <br /> they had to drive for necessary items. He said the area does feel like a food desert. He said was <br /> in favor of the proposal. He said he is not concerned about the traffic, because the traffic is <br /> already bad. He said that a few people going to Dollar General will not make a difference but he <br /> hopes Hwy 54 traffic is addressed in a separate project. <br /> Virginia Ferguson said she has been a White Cross resident for most of her life. She said <br /> she appreciates the extent that the Planning Department did their due diligence and their <br /> consideration of the land use plans. She said that they ultimately presented a good and complete <br /> plan. She said that this request would lead to the most restricted use and she feels that is <br /> necessary. She said the land use proposed is consistent with the plan that the Board has <br /> developed. She said it is about the use of the land, not the user. She said she believes strongly <br /> in individual property owner's rights to do what they want with their land. She said there has been <br /> a lot of growth and there has been little approved to accommodate retail needs. She said that it <br /> makes business and development sense. She said that it will increase property tax revenues from <br /> $2,800 a year to over$10,000. She said the Dollar General will provide an assortment of grocery <br />